The Multicolored Maiden
by Audinale55
Summary: - Super Paper Mario - Timpani had a prophecy to fulfill. She had to help the hero stop the prophecy of the Dark Prognosticus and save the worlds. Only, it's going to be harder than she thinks... AU, human!non-amnesiac!Timpani
1. Chapter 1

Hello all and welcome to my fic! I wrote this fic because I just replayed SPM for the third or so time and I thought '...What if Timpani hadn't ever lost her memory...or hadn't even turned into a Pixl?' Looking around on this site, I realized that I couldn't find a fic like this at all! So, I decided I was going to write an AU just like it. And here it is! I hope you enjoy it!

And don't worry, since it may start out almost the same, it's going to branch out and is not going to be a rehash of the game.

**Disclaimer_: _**_I do not own SPM._

* * *

Timpani had to fulfill the prophecy.

The Light Prognosticus spoke of her as the 'Multicolored maiden who would help end and save the world'. How she could end it _and_ save it at the same time was beyond her. But the prophecy was hazy at best, and to be honest, it could mean almost anything. She liked to focus on the save part, because there was no way she would end the world. Even though her world had ended the moment she had arrived here.

It had been a few months since she had arrived at Flipside, half dead and half mad with grief. Merlon, the wizard, had found her and managed to save her from certain death. But, as a result of her wandering through dimensions, or Merlon's magic, or perhaps both, her hair had…changed. Instead of that plain, mousy brown it had been, it became a rainbow of colors, twirling and shimmering and always changing.

Suddenly she was all but thrown into the prophecy, everyone looking at her. For she, Lady Timpani, was going to save the world someday.

She went along with it, because well, she had nothing else to lose. She had lost the one thing that truly meant anything to her when she had been banished from her world by dark magic. Had it truly that much of a horrible thing, her and Blumiere to have fallen in love? His father had thought so, which was why she was here right now. And now, she would probably never find her way back to Blumiere ever again. And that hurt, more than anything. But she wouldn't give up or give in.

So she tried, really tried, to be happy and cheerful and positive for all the people counting on her. But she didn't know what she could do. She was just Timpani, she didn't have any special powers or skills and wasn't even that athletic. She didn't know how she was supposed to save the world…the entire world, all worlds. It was a pretty big job. But to be honest, it was all she had left to focus on, so she wouldn't give into despair.

Her mother had always warned her not to fall in love, because love _hurt_. She hadn't believed her, and she certainly hadn't when she and Blumiere had been together. But now she was starting to wonder, if maybe her mother had been onto something. Didn't mean she regretted it. She would have rather loved Blumiere and then have lost him forever than to have never had known him, to never have rescued him from the bottom of that cliff.

But only if she could see him one more time…

"Lady Timpani!" She looked up from where she had been idly doodling on a pad of paper. A man was at the door for her. "Merlon says he would like to see you, and that time is of the essence." She sighed and stood up, looking down at the paper where she had been drawing hearts. One of them had 'B+T' written in it.

"I'm coming," she said, as he left her door and she walked out, locking her house behind her. Looking up at the sky, she saw…something. It was purple and looked sort like…a whirlpool. A whirlpool in the sky.

She all but ran to Merlon's house, dodging people in her way, and threw open the door to see him with his back turned to her, reading the Light Prognosticus. "Merlon, was is that in the sky…?"

He turned to face her, closing the book. "The Void," he said simply. Timpani felt her heart clench when she realized what that meant. "It's begun, my dear. The prophecy in both the Light and Dark Prognosticus has come to pass."

"…What do I have to do?" she asked fearlessly. Merlon chuckled at her.

"I do have good news. With a bit more searching of the Light Prognosticus, I have determined that you do not have to do it alone. There is a hero spoken of that you will accompany and help along the way to collect the Pure Hearts." She sighed in relief, because if she had to do it alone, then… she wasn't sure she would make it.

"So when does this hero appear?" she asked, stepping over to him.

"You must go collect him, Timpani. The book says he can be found at 'the furious monster king's castle'. The very same one spoken of in the prophecy that will be married to form the Chaos Heart. Using my magic, I can send you there, and once you have him, bring you back." He paused, raising his hands in the air to cast magic. "Are you ready?"

She nodded. "Of course." The sensation of teleporting magic rose over her and suddenly she wasn't in Merlon's shop anymore. It always gave her chills, teleporting between dimensions. It reminded her of her time wandering dimensions, in darkness. But it only lasted a second, before she was standing in a castle, on a red carpet. Though a hole in the stonewall, she could see lava bubbling far below.

"Oh jeez… This looks safe." She stepped cautiously, not wanting the ground to fall out from beneath her. Timpani wandered down the hall, wondering where exactly she was going to find this hero. Then she came to a large open room-the throne room, she figured-and saw a figure on the ground.

She ran over to him and crouched down to get a look. He was short and kind of round, with a red cap and overalls on and the biggest mustache she had ever seen. The cap had a letter 'M' on it. She shook him.

"Hey, wake up. You need to wake up." He moved and she stepped back, watching him as he woke up and immediately jumped up and looked at her like she was an enemy. She stepped back.

"I'm not here to hurt you. My name is Timpani, and I'm here to save you…er…"

"I'm Mario."

"Mario, then. Anyway, here to save you… Erm, did someone take an evil king and a princess, by any chance?" She was aware she must sound slightly uncertain, but really, she didn't know how this whole…_saving_ _the world_ thing went. This was all new to her.

He nodded and said, "It was-a Count Bleck." And now she had the name of their enemy to give to Merlon when they got back.

"Then they were taken to create the Void… You have to come with me, to save your friends. They may be in grave danger." He nodded again, and she wondered if he ever said anything more than a sentence or two together. Making a little hand gesture, she signaled Merlon from across dimensions to bring them back.

Even as the teleport started up, she looked around. There was something very…familiar here. Not the building, but…in the air. Timpani shrugged it off, though, and let the teleport take her and Mario to the top of Flipside Tower.

Merlon was waiting there for them, and Mario looked suitably confused. So she let Merlon do the talking as she focused up on the Void. She wondered idly if it could be seen in her world, and if Blumiere was looking up at it. _Blumiere, I know you can't hear me, but I'm going to save the world from Count Bleck and the Dark Prognosticus so everybody can live. So you can live, because you, alive, even if you're not here with me is the only thing I want._

"And of course, you've already met Timpani. She has been foretold in the prophecy to accompany you and help you save the world. You must go and collect the eight Pure Hearts to fight the powers of the evil Chaos Heart." He then pulled out of the folds of his cloak a red Pure Heart. Mario jumped, and even Timpani was surprised, because she didn't know that Merlon had one. "This is the first Pure Heart. Will you take it, Mario, and help save the world?"

"I will!" Mario said firmly, reaching out and grabbing it from Merlon. It glowed brightly, then faded to its regular color.

"Excellent! You truly are the hero spoken of in the Light Prognosticus! The first Heart Pillar is on the third floor of Flipside. Timpani can lead the way for you. It will open the door to the next Pure Heart right here, on Flipside Tower. I'll wait for you to come back."

Mario looked expectantly at her, and she knew it was her turn to do her part. "Okay then, follow me!" she said, walking towards the elevator, trying to look like she was a formal guide to the hero. "See," she said as the elevator took them down to the first floor. "We just have to go up two floors and it should be there. It's big and white, so you can't possibly miss it."

"Don't worry. I've got-a it all covered," Mario said. Timpani tilted her head.

"Have you…done something like this before?"

He nodded. "All-a the time. I save Princess Peach from Bowser a lot. And sometimes-a the world."

"Sorry," she said apologetically. "I'm new at this…saving the world stuff." She gestured at the second floor of Flipside. They were about to board the final elevator to go up to the third floor.

"Don't worry. It's-a easier than it looks," he said almost sagely, nodding his head. Timpani smiled, because she actually felt better. This could have been a lot worse, but maybe this could be…fun. Well, it wasn't fun that the world was ending, but making a new friend…

She had never had many friends in her small town. She wasn't truly athletic, she liked to read books, liked to take long walks… The other girls had always been more interested in who was doing what and parties and things like that. She had never really had any friends.

Until she had met Blumiere…

Timpani shook herself out of it when the elevator stopped. She didn't have time to get lost in her thoughts right now, now when there were worlds to save. Stepping out of the elevator, she gestured at Mario.

"Come on, it's this way." Down at the end of the walk she could see the Heart Pillar. It was only a few seconds before they got to it, the white stone stretching up high above them. "Now, I guess…hold out the Pure Heart…"

He did so, and there was a flash of light as it left his hands and fitted itself right into the indent made for it. Red circles formed and spun, like…gears unlocking, she supposed. Then they flew away.

"Did it work?" she asked, tilting her head sideways. Mario shrugged.

"The only way we can-a find out is to go and see Merlon." Timpani nodded and they both walked back to the top of Flipside Tower to see Merlon. Right there, in between two pillars, was a red door.

"So you two return!" he said, and gestured at the door. "As you can see, the door is already here. Go through this and find the Pure Heart that rests behind it. Timpani, you should be able to sense the power of the Pure Hearts, so you must help Mario find it."

"I…can do that," she said, nodding and smiling slightly. Merlon then handed her a red pipe. She looked up at him quizzically.

"This is a Return Pipe. Use it when you are trapped or want to return to Flipside quickly." Timpani nodded and moved towards the door with Mario at her side. Merlon held out a hand. "Before you go… The Light Prognosticus foretells that the hero will meet a 'dimension governor' that will teach you a dimensional technique. This must be Bestovius, a fellow Ancient. Keep a lookout for him."

"We will. …Are you read, Mario?" she asked, looking down at him.

"Ready, Timpani." And they both opened the red door and walked in together.

* * *

"BLEH HEH HEH HEH! BLECK! The Void has opened in the dimensional fabric in space, just like foretold in the prophecy! And now it will only be a matter of time before all words disappear within it! Count Bleck is pleased with this success."

"Wow, that's super! We can erase all these naughty worlds and then build a new one where there's no weird, icky stuff like war and all that," Mimi said, shape-shifted into O'Chunks.

"Oh, yes…" Dimentio chuckled. "No one likes all that 'icky stuff', as you've termed it. But a perfect world… this I cannot wait for."

O'Chunks dropped in at that point, onto his platform. "Sorry I'm late! …GOOD GRAVY! Did I get 'ere before I did?" O'Chunk's asked, looking at Mimi's perfect carbon copy, confused.

"Mimimimimimimimimi! You slept in again, didn't you, you silly! You're supposed to be here on time!" Mimi changed in a cloud of green smoke into a perfect carbon copy of Count Bleck. "But of course when you're that stupid, it can't be that hard!"

"'ey, wait a tic! Yeh can't fool me! It's Mimi, innit it, wit' all that shapeshifting stuff? Show the count some respect, lass!" O'Chunks said, crossing his arms and glaring up at her. Mimi giggled.

"Bleh heh heh heh …Wonderful, Mimi, but not as wonderful as Count Bleck!"

"Aw, thanks, count! I do try!" she said with a giggle, changing into Peach. "That's all it is here at Castle Bleck! Smiles and hanging out with the count all the time! Forget all that, this is _my_ perfect world!"

"I always thought that Mimi's perfect world was populated with shirtless men and lots of rubees," Dimentio said, rubbing his chin in mock thought.

Mimi frowned and turned into Boweser. "Dimentio, you haven't been reading my diary again, have you? …Er…Never mind."

"Well, different strokes for different minions, I suppose…Bleh heh heh heh… Don't worry, my faithful minions, once these worlds have ended, Count Bleck will grant your every wish and make your dreams come true!"

"About that," Nastasia said, adjusting her glasses and entering the conversation. "I have a quick memo for you, count… There's been some unscheduled interdimensional activity that I've caught. Yeah, I think it's the hero of the prophecy. We're gonna need a plan for this one."

"Interesting, mused Count Bleck. An interdimensional interloper and possibly the hero! Well, we must get rid of this nuisance…"

"Hey, count! Lemme get this one, if this 'ere 'ero's yer enemy! I'll give 'im a proper chunkin'!" O'Chucks said, throwing a mock punch.

"Very well then. Count Bleck leaves the hero-chunking to you. But do not fail."

"Don't yeh worry, count! I got this! Mimi! Dimentio! Yeh two should come along to see a proper chunkin;!" O'Chunks jumped off his platform and left.

"Hee, I suppose I could do with seeing a good chunking. I shall take him up on his offer." And Dimentio disappeared.

"Hero of the prophecy…you defy Count Bleck? Hurry if you must, for the end of the world draws near! BLEH HEH HEH HEH! BLECK!"

_

* * *

"Mario and Timpani were called upon to save the world...no small task. Could they prevent Count Bleck from pulling off his sinister plot? Would Mario reunite with Princess Peach? And will Timpani ever find her true love, Blumiere, again? A truly interdimensional adventure was about to begin..."_


	2. Chapter 2

So here's the next chapter of my fic. It deals with chapters 1-1 and 1-2, since all four together would have made it really long. It hasn't changed much _yet_ but it will. I hope you enjoy this fic, and please, if you read, review! I don't know if anybody likes it if you don't review.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SPM.

* * *

"Okay, this place is _weird_," Timpani said, following Mario as he stomped on Goombas-at least, that's what Mario had said they were. "They didn't have anything like this in my old world."

"What was-a your old world like?" Mario asked, as there was a lull in enemies. Timpani blinked, surprised. Honestly, she hadn't even thought he was listening to her. But then again, he seemed like a quiet person who preferred listening and action to talking.

"Oh, it was actually pretty safe. Nothing like these Goombas or Koopas. The most dangerous thing was the Darkness Tribe, and they lived off by themselves past the cliffs."

"The Darkness Tribe?" Mario asked, his interest perked. She sighed. He would ask about them. They just had a naturally fierce name, but one of the gentlest people she had ever known had come from them.

"They usually do keep to themselves, because they look down on normal humans. They have dark skin, red eyes, and wield some kind of dark magic. I don't really know about it, because I've never seen any." Blumiere had never been interested in that stuff. Oh, she knew he could do it, he had to have been able to-he was a noble of his tribe. She had once asked him about it, but he had swiftly evaded the question and refused to show her any. He said it was too dangerous, but she had a hunch that it was also because he didn't want to scare her off, which was completely stupid.

…And she had drifted off again, hadn't she? Mario was staring at her in mild concern, so she shook it off. "But anyway, enough about my past. I live in Flipside now. I don't even know where my world is or how to get back."

"Maybe we'll find-a it looking for Pure Hearts," Mario commented, before running up ahead to stomp a Goomba. She smiled gently at him, and his effort to make her feel better. She hoped he was right, because she wanted-no, she _needed_ to tell Blumiere she was all right. He probably thought she was dead.

Timpani walked after Mario, and suddenly on the horizon, a house came into view. "Hey, do you think Bestovius lives there?" Mario nodded, and he ran up ahead of her. Timpani pulled up her skirt and ran after him, hoping she wouldn't trip on a well-placed rock or something. She really needed to get some better traveling clothes. Full-length dresses and slight high-heels were _not_ for world-saving adventures.

Mario was waiting for her at the door, and when she caught up, he politely knocked. There was no answer. Timpani tilted her head and knocked herself. Still nothing. "Hm. Try the doorknob. At worst, he's not at home."

He twisted the doorknob and the door swung open under his touch. They both peered into the house, into an empty, well-lit room. "Hello?" Timpani called.

"Anyone at-a home?" Mario said. They looked at each other, shrugged, and then stepped in, closing the door behind them. The room was completely empty and devoid of anything.

"This is weird." Mario nodded, agreeing with her. They spread out, looking in every corner of the room. "Maybe there's some sort of…hidden door or something." Suddenly, she felt…something. Maybe it was a hunch, maybe it was more. But it led her to the middle of the wall. "There's something here…I can feel it." She felt along the wall, and hit something with her hand. Grasping it, she realized it was a doorknob as a big door flickered into view.

"A hidden door. Open it, Timpani!" Mario urged, and she swung it open. There was a much smaller room behind it, with someone dressed almost like Merlon sitting on some chairs. It closed behind them with a slam and he looked up from what he was doing.

"Ah! How did you find my door with such a flimsy mustache? It doesn't hold a candle to my brilliant multicolored chin hair." Timpani blinked. What did facial hair have to do with _anything?_ "Now, let's see… overalls, red clothes, jaunty little cap… You look exactly like the hero of the prophecy! And you, with your multicolored hair…you must be the multicolored maiden spoken of!" Timpani nodded eagerly. At least he recognized them. "You two must be… impersonators!" …Maybe she spoke a little too soon.

"What?" she said as Mario sighed and put his palm to his forehead. She wondered if this happened a lot, being mistaken for someone else.

"I have never seen such elaborate costumes! You look like you jumped straight out of the Light Prognosticus!" Bestovius continued on, oblivious to their exasperation.

"Okay. Two quick questions. One, why would _anyone_ in their right minds want to impersonate a hero who has to save the entire universe? And two, does this look like natural hair to you?" she asked, pointing at her head as it shimmered and changed colors.

"…Money and a dye job?" Timpani blinked at him, then drew up to her entire height to yell at him. Thankfully for their mission, Mario stepped in before she decided to scold him.

"Merlon sent-a us to learn a special-a technique from you. We are the heroes of-a the prophecy." Bestovius blinked.

"Hmmmm… Merlon sent you, you say? Only his beard rivals the magnificence of my hairy chin. If he sent you, that means that you must be who you say you are. I think…" he muttered. "Anyway, this means that I, Bestovius, must teach you the secrets of dimension flipping that have been passed down for over a 1,000 years …for 10,000 coins!"

Timpani pinched the bridge of her nose. "You can't charge us for learning a technique so we can save the world!"

"What? It's money! Even dimensional wizards have to live too."

"You're not going to have anywhere to live if the worlds are destroyed!" she said. Bestovius sighed.

"Well, I suppose I can just charge the nominal fee of 10 coins…" he said, trailing off. Timpani jabbed her finger in his direction. This reminded her of haggling with shopkeepers at the market in her home world. Only this was just ridiculous.

"You teach Mario free. Or I'll tell everyone where to find you." She figured that if he hid himself away like this, that he didn't like to draw attention to himself.

"…You wouldn't."

"I think-a she would," Mario added smoothly. Bestovius looked shocked.

"This is blackmail!" Both of them stared at him, daring him to refuse. "Oh, alright. I'll teach you free. Just don't tell anybody where I live." He raised his hands, just like Merlon. "Flimmidy flammidy flooom! Diggidy daggidy dooom! Zibbidy zabbidy zooom! SHABOOOM! FLIPPOW!" Mario glowed with magic. "There! Now, I, Bestovius, have granted you the ability to flip between dimensions!"

"Try it, Mario!" Timpani said. He did, and suddenly his disappeared. Timpani blinked. "Wow, that's literally flipping between dimensions, isn't it?" Mario flipped back.

"It's-a _strange_ over there."

"Yes, yes. We get it. Now shoo, and leave me alone," Bestovius said, making shooing motions. "And remember what you said!"

"Yes, we won't tell anybody where you live," Timpani promised as they left his house. "Well, now that that's over… Let's keep going. I think…I can feel the Pure Heart." If that's what this strange sensation was, leading her towards it.

"Is it far?' Mario asked as they started to walk.

"Yes. It's kind of faint… We've got a bit to go." At least it was nice weather for walking. But she really needed better shoes.

A little while and a few more Goombas later, they came to a chasm in their path.

"That's a big chasm," he said, looking down into it.

"We can't jump that, can we?" Timpani said, looking thoughtful. "But… Hey, why don't we use that power of yours? Maybe there's another way in that other dimension." She grabbed his shoulder. "Just take me with you when you flip." Mario nodded, and suddenly they were in a very strange place.

"…Over there!" she said, pointing after she shook off the affects of seeing everything… odd. What had seemed like hills in the first dimension now was a bridge in the second. It was indeed very odd.

They both filed across it, and flipped back to their original dimension. "You were right," Timpani said. "That is very…strange."

"But useful."

"But useful," she agreed. "And look!" She pointed ahead. "A town. We must be getting at least a bit closer."

"Then let's-a go see what's there."

_

* * *

_

_"And so Mario came to earn the stupendous ability of flipping between dimensions. But there was no time to celebrate: Mario and Timpani still had a Pure Heart to find. The trail ahead was overrun with savage beasts. "Come on!" Timpani said, as she ran toward the mountain and the town that loomed ahead. The Pure Heart was hidden somewhere on the other side."_

* * *

"Okay, I know for sure we're getting closer, but I really have no idea how close. Past this mountain, for sure," Timpani said.

"And this-a chasm," Mario said, peering over the side.

"Oh, not another one!" Timpani walked over to him and blinked. "Er…This is…a really big chasm. I mean, um, wow. It looks like it should have a bridge or something…" she said, pacing the side.

"Maybe it does," Mario suggested. Timpani looked thoughtful. "Maybe it's not-a put down."

"But where would we…" Mario pointed and she looked off into the background to see a cheerful house. "Ah, that's where we would put the bridge down." She glanced around and saw a green transfer pipe. "We can use that, right?"

Mario nodded and she followed him through the green pipe to the outside of the house. It was sort of a weird sensation at first. She'd never actually used one of these transfer pipes before but she had seen them before occasionally around Flipside.

"Hopefully whoever's in there will be more helpful than Bestovius was," Timpani said as she pushed open the door. It was a regular house with a living room downstairs and possibly a bedroom upstairs. But nobody living that Timpani could see

"Hello?" she called, but there was nothing. Until she heard a rustling upstairs that made her jump. "Mario, there's something upstairs!" Mario cocked his head to listen, and then nodded, indicating he had heard it. Together they climbed the stairs and poked their heads into the bedroom.

There was nothing there. "So, where's the sound coming from? Do you think…?" she said, turning to him but trailed off because he was no longer there. She blinked, and then realized he was obviously checking out the other dimension, which was smart. What if sound could travel between them? That might explain all the strange noises people always hear.

He reappeared two minutes later, dragging a man dressed completely in red with him. "Thanks! Without you, I'd have been stuck there forever!"

At Timpani's questioning gaze, Mario said, "He got-a stuck there."

"Yeah! And thanks again for getting me out of there! Name's Red." Timpani raised her eyebrow at his matching name and style but didn't say anything. "If there's anything I can do to repay you…?"

"Um, yeah. You wouldn't happen to be the guy who controls the bridge across that huge chasm outside, would you?" she asked him.

"Yep, that's me! So you want to get to Yold Town? Not sure why, but… Yeah, I can let you pass. But only if you answer one question! Answer it right and I'll let you go. So… What's the most manly color in the entire universe? Red, green or both?"

"…What does that have to do with a bridge?" Timpani asked, exasperated.

"It has everything to do with the bridge and whether you're passing across it or not. So answer the question! Red, green or both?"

Mario and Timpani looked at each other, then looked back at Red. Then they both said, at the same time, "Red."

"Whoo! Right answer! Red is the most manly color in the universe! Let me throw that bridge down now for you…" He went over to his wall and flipped a switch. Timpani sighed, wondering why she didn't notice that in the first place. "So there ya go! Happy travels!"

They left his house and proceeded back across the now there bridge. "Is it just me or is this world populated by people who just want to make things hard for us?"

"This always happens," Mario said wisely, nodding. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on. Maybe this wasn't going to be so fun after all.

Yold Town was sand swept and kind of desolate, the entire place built on a slope, so there were a lot of steps to climb as they passed through. Timpani lifted her skirt, telling herself once they found the first Pure Heart, they were going back to her house in Flipside and she was finding something more suitable.

They finally arrived at the other edge of town, and once again, there was a gaping hole in the pathway that could be crossed by a bridge, and a house in the background. "Wait here, Timpani. I won't-a be a minute," he said, and jumped on the green pipe.

"Remember to look at what color he's wearing," she called, just in case. She leaned up against the nearest building to wait for him to come back or for the bridge to be put down.

It was really windy, but that was to be expected, since from their vantage point she could see a vast expanse of yellow before them. A desert to cross to find the Pure Heart. Her hair was blowing into her face so she blew it out, making the colors fracture and dance across the strands.

She played with some of the strands, twining them in her fingers. She wondered what Blumiere would think of her hair now that it looked like a perpetual ever-shifting rainbow. He'd probably say that it looked beautiful and suited her, knowing him, and that made her smile.

Mario came out of the pipe then, and jumped down in front of her. "He said we have to go see the mayor, Watchitt to get-a the bridge laid down." She nodded and they turned back around to go look for his house. "And he was-a wearing green."

Timpani looked at Mario's straight face and giggled. He was very funny. A sign that said 'Mayor's House' was hung on a mailbox, so they walked up and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" a voice called, and both stepped into a small living room. "Whozat? And get off my rug!" the old man-obviously Watchitt, said, waving his stick. Timpani and Mario jumped off the rug that had seen seriously better days.

"We were hoping that you could give the go ahead so we can pass through town," Timpani said to him. He looked at them both up and down.

"Nothing but desert past here. You don't want to go there. That's why this here town is here. Keeps travelers out! So you can't! Turn back! This here thing in my pocket, you know what it says? WATCH IT!"

Timpani blinked at that. "But we're the heroes of the prophecy," Mario said to him.

"You two? Heroes of the prophecy? If you were, you'd have a hand-shaped Pixl with you! But you don't! So I think not! You know what my beard says to you two? WATCH IT!"

"…What does facial hair have to do with anything!" she shouted. "Seriously, is there something I'm missing?"

"Women cannot understand the power of the manly facial hair," he said, completely deadpan. "Now get out of my house! And stay off my lawn!"

"Does he ever have a lawn?" she asked Mario as they left.

"Who knows? But now we have to find-a this…Pixl. What is a Pixl?"

"Er, hard to explain. They're like…little companions. That can do things. Obviously, there's a hand shaped one hiding somewhere near here, perhaps even in this town." Timpani peeked into a house, but then moved on. "Maybe in one of the houses…"

"Here. This is-a storage room," Mario said, and she nodded. It was as good a place to start as any. A storage room was a nice place to hide anything. It was empty, though. But both of them had figured out that empty meant that it might only be empty in that dimension.

She grabbed onto his shoulder as he flipped to the next one. There was a green warp pipe hidden behind was seemed to be a wall. "I think we found it," she said excitedly, as they took the pipe down into a basement area. Which was just as empty, except that Timpani could sense…something.

She began feeling along the wall, and caught another door handle. "Aha!" She pulled open the door, and they both went inside. There, on a pedestal, was a chest. And the door locked shut behind them with metal bars.

"We're trapped," Mario said, inspecting the door. Timpani nodded towards the chest.

"Try the chest. Maybe it has that Pixl in it and it can help us." He nodded, and went to open the chest.

"GLORIOUS DAY!" Timpani blinked. Mario blinked. And out of the chest a hand-shaped Pixl floated. "Freedom from that stuffy chest that those Ancients threw me into 1,500 years ago! My name is Thoreau! And you must be the legendary hero I have been waiting for! Smashing! I shall join you, if you don't mind!"

"…Go ahead," Timpani said finally. Mario was even more speechless than usual. "We want you to join."

"Wonderful! Now, use my powers of grabbing and throwing to hit that switch-" he floated over to a switch suspended in mid-air above them, "-to break the locks on this room!"

"See?" Timpani said to Mario. "I told you to open the chest. Even though right about now my ears are slightly regretting it."

In less than five minutes they were back in Watchitt's house, showing off their new, very loud, very boisterous Pixl. Though he did seem to become quite quiet once they left that room.

"See? We have found your hand shaped Pixl," Timpani said, gesturing at the Pixl floating around them.

"Now open the bridge," Mario said. Watchitt sighed.

"Well, what d'you know? You are the heroes after all. I'll call Green to tell him to let down the bridge." He pulled out a cell phone, and dialed a number. They both waited patiently as he talked. "Yeah, hello, it's Watchitt. No, I didn't say watch it, I said Watchitt! Get a hearing aid! Anyway, this hero fella and the girl with the strange hair want to get through, so let 'em through. Let's keep this between us, okay?"

He hung up. "Well, guess my job's done now! Been guarding the treasure in those ruins since I became mayor. Have fun trying to find it with all the savage monsters running about in the desert. Oh, and WATCH IT!"

"That was actually easier than I thought it would be," she said cheerfully. Mario nodded and gave a tiny smile at her. She returned it, and leaned up against the same building when he went to see Green.

"So, Blumiere, what would you think if you could see me now? Your Timpani, saving the worlds from an evil count." She sighed. "I wish you were here."

"Wish who was-a here?" Mario said. The bridge was behind him, and beyond, Yold Desert.

"Sorry, I was talking to myself. Someone very dear to me," she answered and fell into silence as they walked.

"He asked me what-a the most manly color was," he said.

"What did you say?"

"Green." Timpani started to smile, and then laughed outright as they journeyed ever closer to the Pure Heart.

_

* * *

"With a bold quiver of his magnificent mustache, Mario let loose a hearty sneeze. A single grain of sand had flown along the warm wind and tickled the hero's nose. It wasn't long before Mario and Timpani found their way to the source of the sand: the Yold Desert. Along the endless, sunbaked expanse, Mario and Timpani continued their search..."_


	3. Chapter 3

Hello all! It's taken me quite a while to get this chapter, but here it is. Ten pages and 5,000 words long. It covers the rest of chapter 1, up to the flashback. It's in this chapter that you can see where things start to go a biiiit different. Oh, and everybody who has this on story alert, please take time to review. It was because of a story alert that I realized I was neglecting this story and that I should continue to write it. Thank you!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Super Paper Mario or any of the Mario characters. I just own my plotline and interpretation.

* * *

Timpani stood on top of a dune and looked out across the endless sand of the Yold Desert. Mario climbed up beside her, looking in that direction also.

"It's-a very big."

"And hot," she said, fanning herself. "So, Watchitt _did_ say there were ruins here, right?"

"Yes."

"Then where are they?" she said, flinging her arms out and flailing about. "I can sense the Pure Heart, but it's not _that_ far away."

"Distance is-a relative. They're out-a there _somewhere_," Mario said. "Trust me." Timpani sighed, and started to slide down the dune, hot sand on her legs.

"Ugh, when we get back to Flipside, remind me to get _pants_. And sensible shoes. I can't possibly save the universe in a large, fluffy, _multicolored_ dress. I don't care if it matches my hair," Timpani grumbled, mostly to herself, hiking up her skirts and bogging through the sand.

Mario looked slightly amused. "Princess Peach can-a do it." She rolled her eyes at him.

"Then obviously, she has more poise and balance than I do. I'm clumsy! I used to fall all over myself all the time and Blumiere used to pick me up…" Yes, she remembered. He used to sweep her up off the ground bridal style, hugging her close and she would throw her arms around his neck and they would kiss.

"Timpani?" Mario asked, when she realized that she had been staring off, over the horizon, wishing she had Blumiere with her to carry her over these sand dunes, laughing and smiling all the while.

"I'm fine, Mario. Just remembering the past is all," she said, hiking up her skirts again and continuing to walk unflinchingly across the dunes. She was saving the universe for _him_; she might as well do it _properly_.

"Who is-a Blumiere?" Mario asked, still interested. Timpani looked down at him, before looking away.

"He was my love. But I…we… his father… oh, it doesn't matter now. I'll never see him again," she said, bringing up one hand to wipe at her eyes. It still made her cry, even now, to think of how they could never be together again, how she would never kiss him again, be held by him again. She then felt a tug on her dress and she looked down into Mario's honest eyes.

"…Don't-a lose hope, Timpani. If you're meant to be together, you'll find-a him again."

"You really think so…?" she asked, feeling tears gathering at the corner of her eyes again. Mario nodded. And she smiled at Mario. "Thank you," she said quietly.

And so they walked, through the endless desert, Timpani wondering exactly what they were looking for. They passed palm trees, and one very weird palm tree that had red leaves. She had an idea that she was going to want to remember where that palm tree was, because if something stuck out that much, it had to be for _something_. After the red palm tree, there was more endless stretch of desert and more palm trees until they managed to come up against a wall.

Finally they passed through a small canyon and came up against a wall with a sign embedded in the sand. She leaned over to look at it. "'Leapeth under its branches ten times'? …Oh, well, that's what the red palm tree is for."

Mario sighed. "Back-a the way we came."

"So," Timpani said conversationally, "does somebody really make these things to be as hard as possible on purpose to frustrate everybody but the real hero, or because they just think it would be funny and want to be jerks?"

"Sometimes I wonder."

"So I should start to expect this back-tracking and out of the way signs, shouldn't I?" He gave her a look. She took that to mean yes, and don't ask such stupid questions, and promptly stopped asking questions, tromping through the desert. She figured if she tried to overthink the utter stupidity of the Ancients she would possibly kill her brains, especially in this heat.

Eventually they got back to the red palm tree, and Timpani sat down underneath its shade, pulling off her shoe to empty the sand out of hit. The sand got everywhere, and she was sure she could feel some in her sock. Slipping her shoe back on, she watched Mario jump next to her ten times. There was a rumbling noise, and suddenly a door appeared.

"Oh, well isn't that convenient." Through the door, there was more sand and more desert. She tried to figure out exactly how that could have possibly happened, but she was rather inclined to believe it was a magic desert and leave it at that.

"Hey, Mario, the Pure Heart is closer. I can feel it…" It was actually so close she could almost taste its essence on her tongue, pure and beautiful. She hiked her skirts again and started to run. "It's this way!" She heard Mario running after her, but she didn't turn to see. Dodging rocks and scrubs, she ran towards the energy pulse, only stopping once where she had to wait for Mario to flip them to the other dimension so she could get across a quicksand pit.

It was like boundless energy within her, and she couldn't stop running even if she wanted to. It drew her to it, calling out to her.

"Timpani, watch-a out!"

"Huh?" she said, turning slightly and slammed into something. No, not something, some_one_, by the way its chest was rising and falling with great breaths.

"Grah googly, I'm bein' attacked by a lass with colorful 'air!"

Timpani jumped back to see a giant, burly man with red hair and beard and what looked like armor standing there, staring at her.

Then Mario came running up in front of her, slipping into a battle stance. His eyes widened. "'EY! Yeh're the man with the 'stache that wot's bustin' up me boss' plans! Yeh shouln't 'ave crossed tha' count"

"Let me guess, you work for Count Bleck," Timpani said, looking distinctly unimpressed.

"Yeah! Me name's O'Chunks, and I work for Count Bleck hisself! One word from 'im, and I come teh get rid wot's botherin' him with hammage!"

Timpani blinked. Mario blinked. "…You do know you said 'hammage', right?" she asked.

"…I meant 'damage'!" O'Chunks said. Timpani just snickered. "Oh, whatever! Don't matter anyway! Yer a goner!"

Man, he talked a lot. And then, Timpani realized that she could use this to her advantage. "So, since you're his trusted minion, do you even know what Count Bleck's doing?" she asked with a sly grin.

"Oh course I do! The Count's gonna destroy the worlds and bring some order teh them!" O'Chunks puffed up his chest, striking a pose. Timpani rolled her eyes.

"Okay, number one, you look ridiculous. Stop that. Number two… you can't just decide one day to destroy the worlds because you don't like them or something bad happens! If that's so, then they should have been destroyed long ago…by me! Just because you're dealt a bad hand doesn't mean you should go on a huge vendetta against the universe, because for every person that's hurt you, there are ten that are good!" O'Chunks and Mario stared at her.

"…Er, well, that's all fine and good, lass. But I pledged meself to the Count, and matter wot yeh say, I'm still goin' to have to chunk yeh. Yeah. Let's go wit' that," he said, before recovering his composure. "So prepare yerselves! Time to thunder down and lay on the beatin'!" And then he jumped at Mario.

Sand was thrown up in the air and Timpani couldn't see anything except the occasional flash of Mario jumping. She had staggered out of the way as soon as it had got too much, and was not watching anxiously. There had to be _something_ she could do…

Until of course O'Chunks jumped and then crashed down onto the ground where Mario had been before with another force catch her off her feet and she fell, hearing the rip of fabric as her dress caught on a rock and split up the side. But that was the least of her worries right now.

Timpani pushed herself up, watching them before her eye caught something glittering behind the rock she had fallen near. Getting up, she poked her head around the rock to see what exactly it was. It was a skeleton of what looked like a Koopa. Timpani recoiled, until she saw what had caught her eye.

"Grah googly, you are a jumper!" O'Chunks said, stopping to catch his breath. Mario was opposite him, stopped too.

"So are you," he said, taking a puff of breath.

"Yeah, well, I'd like to sit 'ere and jaw all day, but I 'ave teh beat yeh and report back the Count." He started to charge at Mario, thinking that now was his chance.

He didn't even see Timpani coming, when she stuck out her foot and tripped him easily, his large body going sprawling on the ground even as he turned over to get a sword at his throat.

Timpani had it in a two-handed grip, and her arms were shaking from holding it up, but she still managed to keep the point at O'Chunks' throat.

"If anybody's going to get beat here, it's you!" she said, raising the sword a bit more. "Surrender!"

"Alright, alright, I surrender …I've been beaten by a lass!"

"Damn straight you have! And don't forget that the Hero Mario and the Multicolored Maiden beat you! Don't forget to tell Count Bleck that!"

"_Maria?_ A girl and a guy wit' a girl's name!"

"…Did that even remotely sound like an 'a' at the end of that name? It's _Mario!"_

"Still, you 'ad best wax that bonny 'stache of yours, Maria, it's monstrous!"

"…Again with the facial hair?" Timpani said, almost dropping the sword in exasperation before getting a grip. "All right. I'm going to let you. Don't try to attack us."

"I surrendered, didn't I, lass? I promise yeh, I won't." Timpani glared suspiciously at him before removing the sword and letting O'Chunks slowly get up from the ground.

"Tell Count Bleck that if he wants to destroy the universe, he's going to have to go through Mario and me first. And that's a promise, not a challenge."

"Lass, don't get yer hopes up. I went easy on yer friend Maria. This a just a tie! Next time won't be so easy! 'Till we meet again! CHUNKS AWAY!" And then he left them there alone, and Timpani finally let the sword rest point down in the sand, arms shaking.

"Timpani, are you all right?" Timpani smiled at him weakly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you all right?" she asked him. "I thought you could use some help…and I found this sword…"

"You were amazing," he told her, and it made her smile even brighter, hair glowing vibrantly.

For once, she felt like she had actually done something right in her life.

_

* * *

"Somehow, Mario and Timpani had found the strength to cross the desert's sweltering dunes. Ahead was a sprawling complex of ruins rising out of the sand. Thankful for the shade, Mario and Timpani ventured deeper inside. They were the very ruins Old Man Watchitt had warned them about. What dangers lurked in the shady corridors ahead?"_

* * *

"All right. So we're here." Timpani craned her neck to look up at the ruins that were straight in front of him. "And I can feel that Pure Heart. It's really close."

"Well, let's-a go find it, then," Mario said, and they both ventured into the dark ruins.

There were fire brands and quick sand and locked doors. They finally made it to a platform with a door and a key stowed in Timpani's shirt. "Well, this is an absolute death trap," she said conversationally, pulling the key out. "You think they'd want the hero to survive."

"You were-a really good when we got trapped in that quicksand, though," Mario said. She just shrugged it off.

"I thought everybody knew you didn't move when you got trapped in quicksand and couldn't get out. And anyway, it all evens out from when you saved me from those fire bars," she said, gesturing down at her now ruined, smoking dress.

"I'm-a kinda _used_ to them," Mario said, giving a small smile. Timpani figured that there was some sort of joke there, but she couldn't figure it out. She slid the key into the lock. "So, do you think this is it?"

"Hopefully. I don't think I could-a survive another spike trap." Timpani flung the doors open to an endless field of sand with blue sky.

"…I'm just going to guess and say that yeah, we found it." They wandered out onto the field, Timpani once again hiking up her skirts so that she would walk more easily.

"WARNING. INTRUSION DETECTED. LEAVE NOW OR BE PURGED."

Timpani's mouth dropped open as a _huge_ dragon rose out of the sand, blocking out the sun and leaving them in shadow. "I hope…we're not going to have to fight that." O'Chunks was one thing. A gigantic dragon was another. "Because if we do, you are on your _own_, Mario." Maybe she should have kept the sword…

"WAIT. SCAN INITIATED. BLUE OVERALLS IDENTIFIED. RED CAP PRESENT. LEVEL FIVE MUSTACHE DETECTED," the dragon whirred out over Timpani's 'You have _got_ to be kidding me'. "MUTLICOLORED HAIR INDENTIFIED. INCREDIBLE. POSSIBLE SUBJECT MATCHES. DATA BANKS PROCESSING…"

Timpani and Mario watched in shock as the dragon's antenna blinked rapidly, and then lit up. "MATCH FOUND. IMPOSSIBLE! SYSTEM OVERLOAD. LEGENDARY HERO AND MULTICOLORED MAIDEN INDENTIFIED."

"Yeah, that's us! This is Mario, and I'm Timpani!" she shouted, wondering if it could hear her from all the way up there.

"FORGIVE ME. I AM FRACKTAIL. I HAVE WAITED LONG FOR YOU TWO, HERO AND MAIDEN. YOU ARE LATE. I HAVE GUARDED THE PURE HEART FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS FROM THE LAWLESS. IT IS JUST AHEAD."

"Ah, ah, ah, but I don't think it will be that easy…" a voice said, and right above Fracktail a man-no, a _jester_ appeared from thin air.

"Oh, _now_ what?" Timpani said, throwing up her hands. "Now who are you?"

"I am Count Bleck's master of dimension, pleaser of crowds, I am…_Dimentio! _ It is finally nice to meet you…and your mustache! And you also, the maiden with multicolored hair," he said, bowing to her. She wasn't impressed at all.

"Keep floating by, you crazy jester. I'm taken." Dimentio grinned behind his hand, letting out a high pitched giggle that went up Timpani's spine.

"Shame. But I am not here to flirt and talk! I am here to end your little adventure the way all adventures should end…with magic!" he said, casting a spell on Fracktail. She could feel the magic enter the dragon, and it felt icy cold.

"BRRRZT."

"Now you can spend some quality time with this robotic guardian while he has a snack. Yes, snack time! For you…are the snack! Ciao!" he said, disappearing.

"_Don't explain the joke!_" Timpani yelled after him as Fracktail started to thrash above them.

"BEEEEEEEP. I AM ERROR. PRESS KEY TO RESTART. SYSTEM NOT FOUND. INSTALL NEW DISK. DISK NOT FOUND. CLOSE DISK COVER. INSERT BOOT DISK OR PRESS ENTER. RISK LOSING EVERTHING AS YOUR HARDDRIVE TURNS TO SLAG. SAVE YOUR WORK OR LOSE EVERYTHING. WAY TO GO GENIUS, YOU BROKE IT. WAITING FOR SIGNAL. '404 computer hamsters not found'. DETINATION IMMINTENT. BLIIIIIIIIIIP. C:/ run query identification C:/ run insult generator C:/ results: go away yeti-lip! CTRL ALT DEL!"

Fracktail roared and dived into the sand, leaving Mario and Timpani standing there. Timpani turned to Mario.

"So…do you want to explain _that_ one, Mr. Experienced Hero?"

"I'd-a rather try not to. But I think we should-a get out-a the way," he said as Fracktail plunged out of the ground and started to circle above and ran down the field lengthwise. Mario grabbed Timpani and pulled her out of the way, both of them falling into the sand. Timpani looked back at Fracktail, and then got a wonderful idea.

"Mario! Flip and jump on Fracktail's back!" she shouted. "Before he goes by!" Mario grabbed her hand. "Wait, I don't mean me too! I'll just slow you down!"

Mario threw her a wry look. "Oh, you're coming too." And he flipped and jumped, Timpani following with a small scream. They managed to land on his back, Timpani grabbing hold of one of his metal plating segments. Mario was already on his feet and running.

"Oh, damn it!" she said, and pushed herself up, scrambling up the back to where Mario was attacking his antenna. "Hurry it up-Ah!" And Fracktail was pulling into a _loop_. Timpani and Mario slid, Timpani feeling her dress tear even more on the metal as they slid. "I am never wearing a dress _again!"_

"Get-a your feet under you and jump!" Mario yelled over the din of the rushing wind. Timpani blinked the tears away from her eyes and saw that Fracktail's head was coming back around. So she gathered her skirts, pulled up her feet, ignoring the sting of the metal and jumped.

She landed in a heap and rolled, her foot catching the antenna as she went by. So she twisted, and kicked, hard. There was a loud metallic snap, and she saw Mario leap on top of it, bringing it down, and it was all over.

"ARGGGGG. I HAVE MALFUNCTIONED. FORGIVE ME…HERO…MAIDEN… PLEASE…SAVE…OUR…WORLD…" One explosion later, Timpani was lying in the sand on the ground, watching fireworks up above. Sitting up, she saw stairs going down appear. Mario was sitting up next to her.

"I can't believe we just did that," she said with a bit of awe. Mario gave her his small smile.

"Of course we did. Heroes always win." She grinned, and laughed and got up, looking down at her wrecked dress. "Well, I'm never wearing this again."

"Come on. Sooner we get-a this heart, sooner we can-a go back to Flipside." She followed him down the stairs into a dark subterranean room with _stained glass windows_.

"Welcome, hero. My name is Merlumina." A ghost appeared, floating above them, dressed in yellow. "I have waited long for you here…almost 1,500 years…to give you this Pure Heart. Yes…"

"…Well, then get on with it. We're kind of on a schedule here…" And she was cold and tired and half her dress was gone and she thought her leg was bleeding.

"Yes, I understand. Your presence here means that all worlds are collapsing. But first I must speak with you. Listen well. Once upon a time, my people build a wonderful civilization. Sadly, there was one thing we could not stop: the Dark Prognosticus. It was a dark book, that foretold the future, and on the last page, there was a dark portent that chaotic power would devour the world. We knew we must do something…so our great sages came together to create something known as the Purity Heart. We divided it into eight pieces and scattered them across the universe."

"Because that was the smart thing to do…" Timpani muttered.

"Hush! As I was saying… We hid them for their protection, to await our hero. It was all going according to plan, until the cogs of destiny began to turn. For it was when I was young, and very beautiful, and on that fateful day I met two men that my life spun out of control. See, it went something like this…"

Four hours. That was how long it took her to tell this story. Mario fell asleep during the first hour. Timpani managed to refrain in order to make remarks and comments though there were quite a few... parts she wished Merlmina had left out. All in all, it was quite scary.

"…And that is why we hope the Purity Heart will stop the Chaos Heart. Did you get all that?"

"Oh, totally," Timpani said, drawing hearts and 'B + T's in the sand on the floor. Mario woke up with a start.

"Huh?"

"It's over," Timpani said shortly, scuffing out the marks and standing up.

"Ah," Mario said, nodding.

"I do hope you got it. I used the short version…"

"The _short_ version?" Timpani whispered in horror.

"Anyway, here! Go forth, hero, and save the worlds! The fate of our worlds rest in your hands." And then she turned to Timpani. "And yours too. More than you know at this time." And she faded as the Pure Heart floated down to them and Mario took it.

"Finally! Now where's our return pipe?"

_

* * *

"Before disappearing, Merlumina had entrusted Mario to save every world. She had waited 1,500 years to deliver the message to the legendary hero. With the second Pure Heart in hand, Mario was in great spirits. But six Pure Hearts still remained to be found, and the journey had just begun. With a shout of joy, Timpani said, "Whoo, one down, only six to go! And I get a change of clothes now!" The weight of every world's fate once again rested on Mario's shoulders..."_

* * *

"And then…she told me to tell yeh Count, that if yeh want to destroy the universe, yeh gotta go through 'er and mustache boy first!" O'Chucks said, kneeling in shame on his platform. "Beaten by a lass with colorful 'air, it's shameful. I've failed yeh Count! I'm so sorry!"

Count Bleck did not seem too concerned with O'Chunks' failure as he did with flipping through the Dark Prognosticus.

"Um, Count?" Nastasia asked.

"This woman… this… Multicolored Maiden…is not mentioned in the Dark Prognosticus! …Said Count Bleck in surprise. "

"She's not?" Nastasia asked. Someone not mentioned in the Dark Prognosticus… But everything was foretold in the Dark Prognosticus.

"No. Count Bleck wishes to know more about this Maiden…and wishes for the hero to be eliminated. Nastasia, concult the prophecy and find out where the hero is going next…"

"I already did, Count. And have sent Mimi to the perfect site. I'll send her a memo to see if she can find out anything about that Maiden, 'k?"

"Excellent! This pleases Count Bleck. I have given Mimi the powers necessary to beat this hero. Yes, after Mimi is through with him, he will be no more. And now I depart! Alert Count Bleck when the 'hero' is no more, and when this Maiden's identity is discovered! BLEH HEH HEH HEH! BLECK!" And with that, he and the Dark Prognosticus disappeared to who knows where.

Nastasia adjusted her glasses and looked down on O'Chunks, who was still kneeling. "All right. O'Chunks, got a sec?" She leaned down to look him in the eye. "I have some more of Bowser's minions to brainwash to add to our minion army. Why don't you sit here and think about your current job performance, 'K?" Then she jumped off the platform and left for the halls of Castle Bleck.

"Argh! Damn you, colorful 'air lass!"

* * *

Peach woke up in the confines of Castle Bleck, confused and wondering where she was. "Ugh where did Count Bleck and his brainwashing servant go? And…didn't I get married to…_Bowser_?"

She stood up, looking around at the monochrome castle and the swirling Void outside. "What is that…? LUIGI! BOWSER! Is anybody here with me!"

"Nah…we're the only ones left of the wedding party, Princess." Two Koopas walked out of the darkness beside her, scaring her until she told herself to calm down. Other than the kidnapping, they were always nice to her. "And man, what a _crazy_ wedding that was! King Bowser, His Royal Groomness getting married to you, that guy in green, Luigi, crashing it, explosions… Everything you could want in a wedding!" Peach did not know what to say to that, so she stayed silent. "But all the rest of the minions have been brainwashed by that crazy Count's assistant. So we have to EVAC this area, now! Private Koopa will escort you!"

"What about you?" she asked the other Koopa.

He adjusted his sunglasses and said, "I'm going to go find other survivors and get them out! No man left behind, that's the code of the Koopa Army! Now get going before our position is given away!"

"Yes, sir!" the private Koopa said. "Hurry up, Princess!" Then he hurried off and Peach had to walk fast to catch up with him at the end of the hallway through another door.

"Hey you, give up." The Koopa pulled Peach back from where she had just been about to walk around the corner, and pressed them against the wall, making a ssshing noise. Then they both peered around the corner.

The captain Koopa was facing another Koopa, with brainwashed red eyes. "Is this insubordination? Johnson, I am your _captain!_ Drop and give me thirty!"

"Yeah, they don't listen to your rules anymore, 'K?" the click of high heels, and Bleck's assistant walked in, adjusting her glasses. "Now they only serve the glorious Count Bleck."

"HAIL COUNT BLECK!" the Koopa repeated.

"See, I'm going to have to have you swear your eternal allegiance to him now. If now, I'm just gonna have to pencil you in for a brainwashing," she said, the fingers on her glasses tightening.

"Hey, lady you can take your brainwashing and shove it! Tell this 'count'…" And she lowered her glasses, staring at him.

"Arrrrrrrrgh!" His eyes turned red, just like the other Koopa. "HAIL COUNT BLECK."

"See, that wasn't so difficult. Now, be a good brainwashed minion and go hunt down stragglers."

"Yes ma'am!" And they both walked off, the assistant following them.

"Lady, we have got to get out of here!" the Koopa said to her with an edge of despair to his voice. "They even broke the captain! This way!" And they ran the opposite direction from which way they had went, Peach aware they might even be followed even now.

They soon ran out onto a bridge that went nowhere. "Dead end!"

"We should turn around…" Peach said, but when she turned around, she realized that they were surrounded.

"Yeah, there is no turning back. This is your dead end, right here."

"Get back, lady let me handle-arrrgh!" The private Koopa's eyes glowed red and peach backed away. "ALL HAIL BLECK!"

"All right now, Princess. It's only you left. You know, I had wondered if you survived the wedding explosion, but here you are. Submit to the Count," she said, grabbing her glasses and getting ready to lower them. Peach drew up to her full, imperial Princess height.

"Somebody that married me to Bowser? _Never!"_

"Well, fine, but my powers say otherwise. Just sit tight and let me brainwash you, 'K?" Peach closed her eyes, waiting for it to come. But it never did as a box was drawn around her.

"What?" she said, before it closed and she was gone, her consciousness fading into the dark.

* * *

"_Ugggh…ugh…" he opened his eyes, looking at his surrounding blearily._

"_So you're finally awake?" a woman asked him, hands on her hips over him. He blinked again, and tried to sit up._

"_Where am I…? Is this a human's house?" The woman rolled her eyes and put a hand on his chest, pushing him back down._

"_Don't wriggle so much. You had a really nasty fall off that cliff. So stay down and let me take care of you." He looked at her hand, and then her face. Pure white skin surrounded by mousy brown hair and brown eyes staring at him._

"_You are a human… You're not…repulsed by me? I'm of the Tribe of Darkness…" The woman rolled her eyes again and walked over to the stove, pulling a whistling tea kettle off of it, and pouring hot water into two mugs and throwing tea packets into them with spoons._

"_I'm not scared. Or repulsed. Anybody who has a shred of decency in them would have helped you. And really, that stuff doesn't bother me. I'm an outcast myself, you could say. I don't have any friends." She walked back over with a mug in each hand. "I take it the Tribe of Darkness knows what tea is?"_

"_Yes, yes we do," he said, sitting up again, more gently this time and taking the mug to sip at it. "Thank you for saving me."_

"_Eh, I was in the area. That's where I usually am during the day when I don't have chores. I'm Timpani, by the way. And your name, Mr. Hotshot Darkness Tribe Guy?" _

"_I'm Blumiere, the son of the noble that owns the castle in the forest."_

"_Blumiere, huh?" Timpani said, with a grin. "All right then, Blumiere! You are my first friend! And you're Darkness Tribe to boot!" she said with a whoop of joy._

_He stared at her, not sure what to think about this enthusiastic human. "…Okay?"_

"_Okay! But pinky swear on it!" she said, holding out her pinky._

"_Pinky swear? What is that…?" he asked in confusion._

"_I'm going to have to teach you everything, aren't I? Hold out your pinky, like I am." He did so, and she hooked them together. "See, that's a pinky swear. And that means that the promise is forever."_

_Blumiere looked at their hooked pinkies, and slowly started to smile._

"_All right, Timpani."_


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, I'm completely sorry this took so long. You know how college is...time gets away from you. This chapter is an inbetween game chapters chapter. It gives a bit of background info and sets up the Peach-Timpani friendship that I've been wanting to do. Oh, yes, and The Timpani-Saffron friendship, too. I thought that other than being the cook of Flipside, someone should focus on a named character that featured into a little part of the story and then you never had to see her again. So she's the best cook, and owns the town tavern. Remember, rated T, people. I'm going for something like semi-real life, or as real life can get in a Mario game.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Super Paper Mario or any of the characters within.

* * *

They exited the red door and ended back up on Flipside Tower. Timpani looked around and sighed, glad to be back home after that endless desert. "Okay, to Merlon's house to hand over the Pure Heart. Then we can rest and take showers before we go after the next one!" A shower and some new clothes were her main goal at this moment in time.

Mario nodded, and they descended the tower in the elevator to the main floor of Flipside. Merlon was standing outside his house and saw them approach him. "Back so soon? I can tell from your faces, though, that you were successful. Come inside and tell me of your journey." Timpani sighed and followed him in.

"So, do you have it?" he asked them.

"Yes, here it-a is," Mario said, holding up the pulsing orange Pure Heart.

"Aha! Yes, yes. Such brilliance could only come from a fragment of the Purity Heart! Tell me…was my ancestor there to greet you?" Merlon asked.

"Merlumina? The one that talks a lot?" Merlon looked decidedly sheepish at Timpani's tone of voice.

"She has been known to give quite…long-winded stories. But that is of no matter! You were well-met by my ancestor. Without Merlumina, we would not have the Light Prognosticus. Or indeed, this fair city of Flipside."

Then, a boy of about twelve burst in on them. "Master Merlon, Lady Timpani! You have to come, quickly!"

"Calm down, honey. What's wrong?" Timpani said, going over and squatting down to the young boy's level. Which wasn't the most comfortable thing to do in a tattered dress, but Timpani could manage it.

"Um, um, um, um, um…" he stammered. Timpani waited patiently. "A girl fell outta the sky on the third floor! And she's not moving!"

"What? A girl fell out of the sky?" Merlon said, shifting them both out of the way to go out the door to see. Timpani pushed herself back up and patted the boy on the head, before taking off after Merlon, Mario right behind her.

There was indeed a girl on the third floor passed out, with bright golden hair and a pink dress. Mario recognized her immediately.

"Princess Peach!" he exclaimed, running over to her. Timpani followed, leaning over to check her pulse, which was thankfully beating steadily, along with the gentle rise and fall of her chest.

"Princess Peach! Didn't Count Bleck kidnap her and use her to create the Chaos Heart?" Merlon said thoughtfully. "She must have somehow escaped from him and made her way here. Amazing!"

"Only she's unconscious. That's not amazing." Timpani checked her forehead. She felt cold, much too cold and she was shivering. "She's cold… Oh!" She knew what to do. "You two stay here. I know how to wake her up."

Timpani sprinted back to the elevator, dodging people and went to the first floor, where the tavern was. The chef at the tavern, Saffron, was also the best cook in Flipside. She also happened to be Timpani's best friend here.

It was strange of how people looked down their noses at her in her home village, but here people welcomed her with open arms. She wanted to think it was because she was their prophesized hero, but she knew that wasn't it. The first time Saffron had said they were best friends; it had understandably thrown Timpani for a loop. The only people she used to consider her friends or her family were her mother and Blumiere. Now she had so many people, who knew who she was and greeted her on the street, that it was becoming commonplace.

"Saffron!" she yelled, bursting into the bar. Saffron stopped cleaning a bar glass for a minute and waved.

"'Pani, hi! Thought you were off on that big adventure of yours …What happened to your dress?" she asked in confusion. Timpani glanced down at her tattered dress.

"Strangely, you're the first person to notice. And it's a long story. But that's not important right now. I need an order of Spicy Soup to go."

"…Whatever for, sugar?"

"There's a girl up on the third floor that fell out of the sky," Timpani said, stepping up to the bar and hooking her foot in the bar rail at the bottom to hoist herself up to talk to Saffron. "She's unconscious and cold. I think she may have traveled between dimensions. So the sooner we get something hot into her, the better."

"Oh, dear! I'll make it right now!" she said, dropping the glass on the bar and running to the kitchen in the back. Timpani stepped back down to the floor and wandered around the bar to take her place for a moment, just in case anyone came in. No one did, as it was the middle of the day. Just the regulars, sitting at tables in the corners and reading the newspaper or playing cards quietly.

She didn't have to wait long before Saffron came back out with a bowl of Spicy Soup, handing it to her. "Make sure she eats all of it. And 'Pani… get some new clothes," she said with an air of almost hilarity. "You look like a ragamuffin."

"Thanks for the compliment, Saffron," Timpani said wryly, before running around the bar and back out again to the elevator that would take her up to the third floor. It only took her a few minutes before she was back next to Peach.

"Ah, Spicy Soup! Why didn't I think of that? And Timpani…" he said, in mild confusion, "What happened to your dress?"

"Not now, Merlon. Trying to save somebody here. This takes concentration. Mario, would you hold her nose?" she asked. Mario reached over and pinched Peach's nose shut, making her open her mouth. Timpani then managed to pour the bowl of Spicy Soup straight into her mouth, miraculously not spilling any of it, making her swallow it all.

Princess Peach was up in record time. "Wow, I had an amazing dream that I had the most delicious soup ever."

"That's Saffron's Spicy Soup, Princess," Timpani said, holding up the bowl. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

"Where am I? Oh!" She looked her left. "Mario! You're all right!" she said, throwing her arms around him and hugging him. "I was worried about you!"

"I'm-a fine, Princess. And you're in-a Flipside."

"The dimension between dimensions. I'm Timpani, by the way," she said, holding out her hand. Peach took it and shook it gently.

"And I'm Merlon. Perhaps we should take this back to my house to discuss what has happened," Merlon said as Timpani and Mario helped Peach back up to her feet.

Walking back was slow going, as Peach was still shaky on her feet, but when they did, Peach related the tale of her escape from Castle Bleck and Mario and Timpani related their tale of the Pure Hearts.

"Well, it seems like we have a lot of work cut out for us. We have to find these Pure Hearts and defeat Count Bleck, and we have to find Bowser and Luigi!" Peach said.

"_We?_" Timpani asked.

"Yes, I'm coming along too. I just can't sit around and wait for you to come back every time you find a Pure Heart. I have to be a part of the action. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not! It means we outnumber Mario two to one now," she said with a grin. Both girls giggled while Mario smiled good-naturedly at the teasing. Merlon cleared his throat.

"Now, you three… to make the next door appear, you must place the Pure Heart in the next Heart Pillar. '_And so one Pure Heart shall lead the way to the next…'_ That will make the next door appear."

"That's all nice and good, Merlon. But I insist that we take a break for a few hours," Timpani said. "The Princess must be tired and as many people have failed to notice… I am need of a new change of clothes," she said, gesturing down at herself. "So, Princess, would you like to go clothes shopping with me?"

"Would I!" Peach exclaimed, following Timpani out of the door. "Mario! Don't leave without us!"

"Don't worry," Timpani said, in a stage whisper. "He needs me. I'm the Multicolored Maiden after all."

They wandered up the streets of Flipside until they got to a higher end clothes shop. "Let's go in here!" Peach said, grabbing Timpani's arm, and pulling her in.

"But…" she started to protest, but went anyway. She wasn't used to clothes this fancy, and plus, she didn't have the money for them anyway. That is how she found herself surrounded by large price tags and very fancy attire, like something a noble would have worn in her world. Only, she wasn't a noble.

"My Lady Timpani!" she turned to see the owner of the shop approach her. "What can I do for you today?" At least he was a fan of hers.

"Hi. As you can see, I'm kind of in need of new clothes," she said, gesturing down at herself. "Only, I don't think I can afford anything in here…" she said, trailing off. Peach poked her head out from behind a rack of pink dresses and walked over.

"Oh, why didn't you tell me, Timpani? I would have pulled us in here… But don't worry, I'll pay for you," Peach said, patting her on the shoulder.

"You would?" she asked quietly, not quite believing her ears. Peach nodded happily.

"Of course!"

"No need. The Lady Timpani does not need to pay. Everything is free for her," the shop owner said in his heavy accent, gesturing at the store. "Just tell me what you are looking for, and I shall get it." Timpani, almost horrified, tried to get the man to at least accept some money, but he refused every time, and eventually she just gave up and told him what she was looking for.

"I'm actually looking for pants, or even a shorter skirt, if that doesn't sound strange. Running about in a fluffy dress and getting it dirty and ripped doesn't suit me. Do you have anything?" she asked. Soon, she was ushered into the fitting room with a short skirt that was light and airy and a button up dress shirt with sparling fabric woven into it. She ran the fabric through her fingers and realized it was the finest fabric she had ever felt. Hurriedly she slipped it on.

"You know, running around in dresses isn't that bad. I do it all the time," Peach said from outside, where she sat with her hands folded daintily in her lap.

"That's what Mario said. But you see, you're a princess. You have natural poise and grace. I'm not. I'm a klutz, and-this may shock you-a commoner. I grew up in a small village on land that belonged to a lord. I'm more comfortable roughing it than not. The first time I really dressed up in a poofy dress was when I came here."

"…Being common isn't bad. Being a princess comes with all sorts of responsibilities and you _have_ to wear a dress and look good all the time. Sometimes I wish I could be free like that," Peach said, smiling wistfully. "But then again, there's not much I can complain about. I _do_ like my life."

"So do I," Timpani said, grinning as she threw the curtain open. "So how do I look?" Princess Peach looked at her, and then clapped her hands together.

"Beautiful, Timpani!" Timpani walked over to the mirror to inspect herself. The skirt was white and ended in a swirl of colors like her hair and the shirt was cut just right for her, accentuating her curves, even though they weren't the most generous. She smiled, fluffing her hair and adjusting the cuff on the shirt.

"I can imagine this scandalizing my mother, and everybody else," Timpani said, laughing. The skirt came down to her upper thighs, which left her legs down to her new practical black boots completely bare. "But it's good that I don't mind scandalizing people."

"Something is missing…" Peach said, looking thoughtful. The shop owner came up behind them, something white slung over his arm.

"This! This is what Lady Timpani is missing," he said, holding it out for her. It was a white coat that came down to her waist. She shrugged it on, tugging down the shirt that was just a tiny bit longer than the jacket. It had so many pockets she wasn't quite sure what to do with them. Maybe she should start carrying around bits and pieces in her pockets. You never quite know when you're going to need a bit of string…

"Yes. It's beautiful! Turn around, Timpani, let me see!" Peach said, and Timpani obligingly twirled around, letting her hair and skirt drift around her. "Yes. Take that," Peach said in a very Princess voice. Timpani laughed, and stopped her twirl to stare at herself in the mirror. She looked almost completely different, dressed in fine clothes.

It hit her suddenly that this is what she would be wearing if she had married Blumiere, higher class clothes that fitted her perfectly. It made her long to turn around and see him, smiling widely at her and proclaiming her the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. But she knew that when she turned around, there would only be Peach and the shop owner.

"Okay," she said quietly. "I'll take them."

Timpani got dressed once again in her tattered dress and the owner packed up her things. She couldn't truly say purchases, because he still refused any money. But still, she was leaning on the counter, watching him, when something caught her eye. A matching hair pin and brooch set, and what they were made her give a sharp intake of breath.

"Timpani?" Peach asked, as she lifted the hair pin almost reverently. "Oh, that's a pretty pin…"

"It's a Noire Violet," Timpani said, turning it over in her hands as she looked at the fluting on the edge of the colored black glass to emulate the petals.

"Ah, yes. We have had that set forever. It is much too expensive. See, the flower has only been seen by the Tribe of Darkness and a select few, for it only grows on the Darkness Tribe's land."

"I've seen one before. I've held a bouquet of them in my hands," Timpani said, still turning the flower pin over in her hands. "My beloved, Blumiere, was from the Darkness Tribe and he used to give me them…" She wasn't sure why, but tears started to well up in her eyes, the entire thing being too much for her. "And now I'll never see those flowers again, I'll never see _him_ again."

Peach hurriedly put her arms around Timpani's shoulders as she started to sniff, trying to hold back the tears. "Oh, don't worry, Timpani. Once this is all over, we'll go and find him. I promise. I'm a princess; I can make promises like that!" Timpani laughed, and it turned into a small hiccough.

"Lady Timpani, please take the set," the shop keeper said to her, also pressing her wrapped clothes into her hands. "I will never sell them, and if that flower is dear to you…"

"Thank you," she said quietly with a small smile. "Don't worry, I won't forget this. Ever." She put the brooch into her wrapped up clothes, and pinned the hair pin straight into her hair. She loved how it glittered in her hair, catching the light.

"Please come again!" the shopkeeper called as the bell on the door tinkled as they walked out, back onto the bustling streets of Flipside. Timpani held out the brooch in front of her, looking at it, and vowed again that she would, and next time, she would pay him for his kindness.

Later, when they had eaten and showered and dressed again, Timpani pinned the brooch to the lapel of her coat, thinking of how beautiful it looked there. She _was_ doing this for him, she realized. It was all to make sure that he could live on, even if they couldn't be together. _If only he could see his Timpani now…_ she thought.

"You do look very pretty," Peach said as she came back in, brushing her hair. Timpani turned to look at her.

"Not as pretty as you are, Princess," she said sincerely, for Peach was very pretty, especially with her long blond hair.

"Oh, please. Call me Peach. And you are too. Especially your hair. I love it." Timpani shifted over to let her look in the mirror to put on her earrings.

"The hair isn't natural. Side-effect of how Merlon saved my life when I got here. My original hair color is brown," she told her, running her fingers through her hair so that the patterns of color would shift and break. "Someone once told me they thought it was a dye job, though," she said with a grin.

Peach looked over at her incredulously. "A _dye_ job?"

"Yeah, my reaction too. It was…interesting, to say the least. I mean, c'mon, it even…_moves!_" she said, pointing as the strands started to rearrange their colors again.

"It's actually very hypnotizing," Peach said. "You always want to see which way it's going to go next." Timpani rolled her eyes at that.

"C'mon, Peach. Let's go back to Merlon's house and get Mario. Then we have to go find that second heart pillar."

The heart pillar wasn't particularly hard to find. It was just in an interesting place, through a gate Timpani had never seen that was in the third dimension, down a few green pipes and then a hop across floating stepping stones with Peach's umbrella. The fact that strange situations like these were becoming more natural to Timpani was slightly disconcerting.

"There is no way that umbrella can support your weight," Timpani argued in the elevator up to Flipside Tower.

"It can because it's a magical pink umbrella!" Peach said back, hands on her hips. "Mario, tell her."

"I'm-a not getting involved."

They bickered all the way to the orange door and into it.

_

* * *

_

_"With Princess Peach at their side, Mario and Timpani set out once again, bound for adventure. This time, our heroes were tasked with finding the mysterious charmer, Merlee. If Merlon was right, then Merlee was the key to finding the next Pure Heart. Never one to flinch from danger, Mario set out to find Merlee's mysterious mansion. But little did he know, the evil works of dastardly Count Bleck awaited at every turn..."_


	5. Chapter 5

I have a new update for you, since when I get on a writing kick, I write a lot. If you weren't aware, this is chapter 2-1 and 2-2, my style. This is where it really and truly starts changing and diverting from the game. If you like and read, write a review! I will always appreciate reviews.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Super Paper Mario.

* * *

"All right. So we're in a bog. This is nice. Reminds me of home a bit," Timpani said, jumping on the pathway to make it wobble. Peach had her umbrella out and was walking behind her, twirling it just a bit. Mario was up ahead of the two of them, just in case any monster appeared.

"Where is home for you, Timpani? What's it like?" Peach asked curiously. Timpani kicked a rock.

"Oh, you've probably never been to that dimension. It was a small village on the outskirts of the Dark Forest. I lived there with my mother. I was a bit of a loner, actually. I thought way too much for a girl. Usually, I went out into the forest, even though we weren't supposed to and read borrowed books from the bookshop. Just the normal average stuff a 20 year old old maid did," Timpani said ruefully.

"You are not an old maid!" Peach admonished. "I'm 18 and I'm not married!"

"In a small village like that, you were expected to get married. But nobody wanted me because…" she hesitated. "Nobody wanted me. And just for the record, Peach, now I'm 23. A ripe old age. By now most people were married with two kids. Didn't matter anyway, as all the men I ever met were boring." She wrinkled her nose. "And worse, they thought _I_ was boring. A girl shouldn't read too much. A girl shouldn't think that much. And worse, to them I was unattractive. Mousy brown hair, mousy brown eyes, a sloping nose, they can't see past all that."

"I know _exactly_ what you mean. It's like how men can't see past my beauty. It's like 'hello, my eyes are here!'" Peach said, waving one hand. Timpani laughed and Mario rolled his eyes good-naturedly and decided to go a bit further ahead.

"Anyway, one day when I was hanging out by the cliff that separated our part of the forest from the Tribe of Darkness' part of the forest, someone fell down it."

"Blumiere?" Peach asked.

"Yes, it was Blumiere. Turns out he had been peering down at me from the ledge and lost his balance. He totally lost consciousness, so I managed to get him back to my house. He was Tribe of Darkness, so he couldn't blend in with humans. He had dark skin and reddish eyes and purple hair, of course. He was also dressed like a lord. Trust me, it wasn't easy. He was shy at first, like had hadn't talked to many people who cared what he thought. Probably not, knowing what his father was like," she said, snorting. "That reminds me of the first time we kissed-"

"Timpani, Princess Peach, c'mon, I found a secret room up ahead. I think-a it has a Pixl in it."

"Mario! Just as it was getting to the good part!" Peach yelled, brandishing her umbrella. Timpani snagged her shoulders in a one armed hug.

"C'mon, Princess. Let's go see what's down there. Probably another crazy Pixl," she said, following Mario.

They both followed him to a pipe to an empty room. Timpani held up a hand and looked around, then directly up. "Mario, there's a switch up there," she said, pointing. As an explanation to Peach, she said, "I can sense stuff people can't see." The switch made a pipe appear and they went down it into a room with a floating orange thing.

"It looks kind of like a dishwasher," Peach pointed out.

"It looks like a…_what?"_ Timpani asked. "…Doesn't matter. We just have to kill it." Until it multiplied. "Them. I hate enemies like this."

Mario jumped on the copy, but it just kept making more copies.

"Mario, kill the original!" Timpani yelled, flailing her arms. Peach closed her umbrella and took quiet aim. When it floated too close, she hit it with her umbrella and it fell down, leaving it vulnerable to Mario's boot.

"Nice shot," Timpani said, looking at her.

"Thanks. I play tennis." A chest suddenly appeared and they wandered over to it.

"So, what, exactly, is a Pixl?" Peach asked, stepping forward. Timpani inched forward, nudging the chest with her boot.

"Things made by the Ancients to serve them. Each has its own talent. The original 12 were sealed by the Ancients to await the Hero of the Light Prognosticus. This," she watched as the chest wiggled, "is probably one of them."

"They are-a kind of strange," Mario elaborated, before he went over and threw the chest open. Nothing floated out.

"…If it's empty, why did it wiggle?" Peach asked, and the three looked at each other in confusion.

"Ssss-BOOM!"

"It's a Pixl," Timpani said wearily. "They have no volume control." A Pixl floated out of the chest shaped like a bomb.

"You got good vibes! Great vibes! I like your vibes! Haven't felt vibes like that in 1,500 years! I always do love a person who knows how to blow things up!"

"Great. A pyromaniac. We're all going to die."

"Technically he would be a mad bomber," Peach said. "Because he's, y'know… a bomb."

"Details," Timpani said, waving a hand.

"Sss-POW! A few questions, first!" What followed was quite a few of the most irrelevant questions that Timpani had ever been asked.

"You stay up wonderin' if anybody gives presents TO Santa Claus!"

"Uh…" Peach said, looking at Timpani and Mario for an answer. But the Pixl plowed right over anything they would have said.

"For some reason, you clean your room before a test."

"…What does this have to do with anything?" Timpani finally asked.

"When someone says 'Let's be friends' you think 'Yeah, whatever.'"

"No, that's rude!" Peach said, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at the Pixl.

"You have no idea why I'm asking you these weird questions."

"At least that one is-a true…" Mario said, sighing.

"Does this always happen to you on adventures?" Timpani asked. Mario nodded.

"Mario…I am so sorry. I shall try not to get kidnapped more often."

"You think shoppin' online is a magical experience!"

"So, how many times have you been kidnapped?" Timpani asked. By now all three of them were ignoring the Pixl.

"Oh, so many times that it's become routine. Most of the times it's Bowser, though. I've gotten so used to being in his castle I have a permanent room decorated in pink."

"Anyway, aren't you married to him now?"

"You once put on a shirt inside out and before goin' out didn't bother to fix it!"

"No! That was a terrible wedding! And anyway, I got forced to say 'I do'. That doesn't count."

"It-a doesn't count if-a you don't say 'I do."

"I'd say 'I do!" Timpani said, grinning.

"To Bowser?" Peach and Mario said at once.

"No, to Blumiere, duh. We were actually engaged, technically. We were going to run away and elope."

"You wanna be sleepin' when you're awake, but once you're tired, you wanna wake up!"

"That's so romantic!" Peach said, clasping her hands together. "But…then, what happened?"

"His father decided to exercise his right to choose Blumiere's significant other, kidnapped me, bashed my head in, and banished me to the space between dimensions, hoping there was nothing there and I would bleed to death. Fortunately, Flipside was there and Merlon was able to save my life. Hence, the hair. Hence… this," she said, gesturing around.

"That's um…wow. That's some serious hatred."

"Tell me about it. So, Blumiere probably thinks I'm dead. Or have disappeared. Or decided that I didn't love him anymore and ran away with someone else. Now, it may just be me, but I sort if prefer the former."

"You're gettin' pretty tired of these questions, aren't you?"

"Don't worry, after all this is over, we'll make sure you get home, Timpani!"

"Yes. We'll take you ourselves."

"Thanks, guys," she said, beaming.

"Man, you people have some tasty vibes! I haven't seen vibes this tasty in a while! Of course I'll join you! Sssss-BOOM!" And the Pixl floated over to them.

"…Oh, he was still talking with us?" Timpani asked. Peach shrugged.

"Doesn't matter. C'mon! We have to get to Merlee's Mansion. And with the bomb Pixl, we can do it!" Peach opened her umbrella again after they had ascended from the pipe.

"I am sensing that the Pure Heart isn't too far away," Timpani said, peering through the trees and over the hills. "We're so close. "

"Then let's-a go."

_

* * *

"On the far side of a beast-ridden swamp, Mario and Co. found an imposing residence. "This must be Merlee's Mansion!" squealed Princess Peach with glee. If our friends could only find the Pure Heart quickly, their quest here would end. But when has fate ever set Mario and Timpani on such a simple path? Brimming with anticipation, our plucky heroes plunged into Merlee's Mansion..."_

* * *

Timpani knocked on the door as a precaution, before she pushed it open into the foyer. It was a very spooky house from the outside, and the inside wasn't looking any better.

"Timpani, we can't just go in! What if she's not at home?" Peach hissed as she slid in behind her, Mario bringing up the rear.

"And what if Count Bleck's minions got here first?" Timpani asked. "We had better go in."

She regretted that decision about five seconds later, halfway into the foyer, when she saw the guard dogs. They were big and had big, sharp teeth. Very sharp.

"Um… nice doggy?" Timpani ventured. The lead one growled menacingly. A minute later, they were back outside, leaning on the closed door, taking deep breaths.

"That… was-a close one."

"We're going to have to go back in there…" Peach said, as Timpani opened the door a crack to peer through and watch the dogs. "Do you have any ideas on how to distract them?"

"They pace, back and forth. You see it? If we switch to the other dimension, sneak up behind them, and then dodge around them quickly, we might be able to make it," Timpani said quietly.

"It's worth a try," Mario said as he held out his hand for Peach and Timpani to grab.

The dogs wouldn't go up on the platform at the end of the foyer, so they flipped back right in front of a crystal ball on a stand. Timpani peered around it, and ran a hand along the crystal ball. It had dust on it.

"You would think Merlee would be here. But she isn't. And she hasn't been for a while."

"Maybe you were right, Timpani. Maybe something has happened to her," Peach said.

"There's a door, right-a here," Mario said, behind a red curtain. Timpani pulled it out of the way and they opened the door into the next room. A small green-skinned little girl dressed in a maid's outfit, hair in pigtails, looked at them and smiled.

"Hey there! Glad you made it past the dogs. I'm Lady Merlee's maid, Mimi! Pleased to meet you!"

"Hi," Timpani said, slightly suspicious. "We're looking for Merlee. Might you know where she is?"

"Oh, yeah, totally! Lady Merlee's in the room on the second floor farthest to the right. But make sure you don't go into any of the other rooms!" she said, waving her index finger around at them.

"…Thanks."

As they went up the stairs, Peach said, "See, Timpani, nothing bad has happened."

"You think? If she's really Merlee's maid, then why did her crystal ball have dust on it?" She caught the sight of a very, _very_ large guard dog chained up in front of a door, larger than the ones in the foyer, and filed that away for later use.

"So, you think…" Peach caught the look of concentration on Mario's face and sighed. "We're walking right into a trap, aren't we?"

"Probably. But we might as well try it. Maybe she really is innocent." Mario threw open the door. It was empty, save for a switch at the very end of the room. "Nevermind. This is totally a trap." They walked up to the switch. "Well, guys…?"

Peach's face was one of determination. "Throw the switch." So Timpani did. Bars went down on the windows and the ceiling grew spikes as it started to descend on them.

"...Wait, the door's still open. What's the use of the bars on the windows?" Timpani yelled. "That makes no sense!"

"C'mon!" Peach said, pulling at her arm. "Do you want to get crushed or not?" They ran halfway down the room before Timpani stopped and looked up, squinting. There was something… "Timpani!"

"No, wait, there's something up there! Mario, flip us!" Mario grabbed Peach's other hand and they flipped to the third dimension. The spikes, in actuality, only filled half the room. Mario pulled them both easily to the wall as the spikes came down.

"You have good eyes," Peach said to her. She smiled and shrugged, because it was really nothing. Mario was squinting now, up at the rafters.

"There is-a something up there. Come on, get-a up on the drop ceiling." Timpani pulled herself up on it with Mario and they both grabbed one of Peach's hand to pull her up just as it started to rise again. They rode it all the way up to the rafters, where it finally stopped, the rafters just above.

"Hey, boost me up there, I'm the tallest," Peach said, hooking her umbrella over her arm. Timpani bent down and cupped her hands so that Peach could step on them and she hoisted her up.

"Ugh, you're heavy," Timpani groaned as she scrambled up on the rafters, balancing precariously in high heels with her umbrella open for balance.

"You should-a let me do that," Mario said, frowning.

"Sorry, Mario, but you're kind of short. You wouldn't have reached," she said as Peach edged down the rafter. "And we girls are outdoing you today, aren't we?"

Peach giggled. "We are. I don't get to be too much of a hero often. I am having fun at it, though!" She gradually edged out of sight, and after a minute, Mario called after her.

"Princess, are you all right-a?"

"Fine! I found a chest!" her voice said faintly. A minute later she leaned down from the rafter, dust and cobwebs in her hair. "It's dusty up there. But the chest had a key in it!" She held up the key triumphantly, and jumped down, using her umbrella to float to safety. Timpani took the key, looking at it as Mario helped Peach brush herself off.

"…I know what this key opens."

They went back downstairs and Timpani passed right by Mimi, who blinked. "Uh, what are you doing?" She ignored her and went towards the dog, holding up the key so it could see it.

"I know you're chained up. I have to key to release you. Don't eat me." The dog stopped growling and she gingerly sidled past, going for the lock.

"Hey! Stupid head, what are you doing? Don't set that dog loose!" Mimi yelled, running towards Timpani. Peach caught her with her umbrella and held her back.

The lock clicked and fell to the ground, the chain disappearing. The dog, realizing it was free, started to advance on Mimi, growling. Timpani wrenched the door open, yelling for Peach and Mario. "C'mon!" Mario grabbed Peach and pulled her out of the way as the dog lunged. They dove through the door, and she slammed it on the sounds of barking and girlish screaming.

Then, Timpani hesitated. Should she really…? She tried to kill them with the spiked ceiling. But _she left the door open._ "…Wait a minute, guys." She opened the door again, and when Mimi ran by, she grabbed her by the collar and pulled her in with them.

"You saved me…" Mimi said to her, one of her pigtails loose and hanging down her neck.

"Well, yeah. Nobody wants to get eaten by a giant dog. Even if you did try to kills us with spikes on the ceiling and is probably a servant of Count Bleck."

"Hey! I left the door open," Mimi argued.

"I know," was the only thing Timpani said.

Mimi stood up and huffed, "Well, don't think just because you saved me I'll go easy on you, stupid heads." And she disappeared.

"And don't expect me to go easy on you, Miss Mimi," Timpani said to thin air.

"…That was really nice of you, Timpani," Peach said, smiling.

"I didn't want her to _die_… She's only a kid."

"You still-a didn't have to," Mario pointed out.

"I didn't have to rescue him either, did I? But I did. I don't regret that, and I'm sure I won't regret this," she said with a wistful smile. "Now, come on, we have to find Merlee."

_

* * *

"Mario and his friends kept up their search, delving ever deeper into the mansion. Wherever they looked, though, they found no sign of Merlee. Where was this mysterious woman? "This woman is harder to find than a needle in a haystack." So said Timpani, trying to sense the Pure Heart's and Merlee's location... With dread dangling like a broken chandelier, our heroes hurried through corridors..."_


End file.
